Portable fence



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY W. BUTTERFIELD, OF GRIGGSVILLE, ILLINOIS.

PORTABLE FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,279, dated December 29, 1885.

Application filed June 22, 1885. Serial No. 169,444. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY W. BUTTER- FIELD, of Griggsville, in the county of Pike and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Portable Fences, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of my improved fence. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of the same, taken through the line mm, Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a perspective view of one of the sills. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the sills, showing a modified form.

The object of this invention is to provide fences constructed in such a manner that they can be readily and quickly set up, taken down, and moved from place to place, and which shall be simple in construction, strong and durable in use, and inexpensive in manufacture.

The invention consists in the combination, with the overlapped ends of the panels, and with the recessed sills supporting the panels, of binding bracewires, as will be hereinafter fully described.

The panels are formed of horizontal boards A, connected at their end by crossbars B, which are preferably attached to the opposite sides of the boards A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. WVhen the panels are long, they may be strengthened by cross-bars B, attached to their centers.

The panels A B can be made wholly of boards, or of boards and a top wire, as shown in the drawings, or of boards and intermediate wires, as maybe desired, or as the scarcity of lumber may require. 7

In setting up the-fence the adjacent ends of the panels A B are overlapped, and are arranged with the inner edges of the end crossbars resting against each other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to prevent the said panels from being drawn apart longitudinally. The overlapped ends of the panels A B are placed upon sills G, and rest in recesses D, formed in the centers of the upper sides of the said sills, which recesses are made of such a length that the overlapped ends of the panels will fit into them snugly. The recesses D can be formed by attaching blocks E at a suitable distance apart to the upper sides of the sills O, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, and th s construction I prefer, as it allows the sa d sills to be made of lighter lumber than would otherwise be necessary; or the said recesses can be formed by removing a portion of the upper middle parts of the sills, as shown in Fi 5.

To the sills G, at or near their ends, are secured by staples F or other suitable means, the lower ends of brace-wires G. which are inclined laterally so as to pass the ends of the adjacent panels, and are secured at their upper ends, by staples H or other suitable means, to the top board of the other panels, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. With thls construction the overlapped ends of the panels will be held firmly against each other in an erect position and in place upon the sills C. With this construction, also, by detaching one end of each of the brace-wires G, the panels will be disconnected, and can be readily taken to another place and again set up, or can be compactly stored, ready for future use.

I am aware that the overlapped ends of adjacent panels have been secured together by a wire wrapped around the uprights of the panels and having its ends secured to sills, which are recessed to receive the said panels; and I am also aware that the overlapped ends of the panels have been secured together and braced by braces which have their lower ends secured to the sill and their upper ends passed through openings in the contiguous uprights of the panels, and I therefore do not claim such inventions.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- An improved fence, consisting of the sills 0, having the recess D, the panels A B, having their adjacent ends overlapping with the inner edges of the cross bars B, resting against each other, and the brace-wires G, having their lower ends secured to the sills and their upper ends attached to the top boards of the panels, the said braces being inclined laterally and crossing the ends of the adjacent panels, substantially as shown and described.

HENRY W. BUTTEBFIELD.

Witnesses:

J AS. B. MORRISON, O. S. KENNEY. 

